Poultry feeder



Jan. 8, 1952 M. SMALLEGAN POULTRY FEEDER Filed Aug. 10, 1950 IN VENTO/Z MARVIN LSMALLEGAN A-r-rozmsvs Patented Jan. 8, 1952 POULTRY FEEDER Marvin L. Smallegan, Zeeland, Mich., assignor to Automatic Poultry Feeder Company, Zeeland, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Application August 1-0 1950, Serial No. 178,680

The present invention relates to poultry feeders and more particularly to a modification of the poultry feeder illustrated and described in the applications for Letters Patent of the United States filed by Richard A. DeWitt on June 15, 1949, Serial No. 99,169 and filed by myself on March 2, 1950, Serial No. 147,281.

The primary objects of the instant invention are to provide a poultry feeder of the general character above indicated whose conveying chain lies in a pair of parallel fiat positions for most of its length; to provide such a poultry feeder whose trough is in one length for use in a relatively narrow poultry house rather than rectangular in form such as are used in larger poultry houses; to provide such a poultry feeder which is highly efficient in its intended use; and, to provide such a poultry feeder which is reasonably economical in manufacture.

An illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure l is a perspective view of the poultry feeder showing the feed feeding hopper which hopper is not part of the invention;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary top plan view of the poultry feeder; and

Figure 3 is a bracketed fragmentary perspective view thereof.

Referring then to the drawing wherein like parts of the poultry feeder shown are designated by the same numerals in the several views, the same comprises an elongated U-shaped trough i whose opposite ends are each adjustably elevatedly seated between a pair of spaced vertically disposed legs II, the bottom of each leg being secured to a transverse foot I2.

Each end of the trough II] is provided with a horizontally disposed sprocket wheel I3 secured to a shaft I l whose lower end is rotatable in the floor of the trough and a sprocket chain I5 carried between the spaced sprocket wheels I3 is adapted to travel feed admitted to the trough I8 from the hopper It adjacent opposite lengths of the trough.

A suitable source of energy such as an electric motor I! mounted on the hopper IE is operatively connected to one of the sprocket wheel shafts I4 which motor when energized rotates its sprocket wheel I3 to effect travel of the sprocket chain I5 within the trough Ill and as indicated by the arrows in Figure 2.

The sprocket chain I5 lies flat adjacent the parallel lengths of the trough II] for most of its two parallel lengths as shown in Figure 2 and means for turning the sprocket chain edgewise 2 Claims. (Cl. 198-1638) at each end of the trough comprises a U-shaped member I8 each of whose legs I9 are provided with screw threads, all as best viewed in Figure 3.

This U-shaped member I8 is adaptedto he slipped under the trough adjacent each end thereof and a bar 20, apertured at its opposite ends, is slipped over the screw threaded legs of the U-shaped member which bar is tightly secured above opposite ends of the trough by wing nuts 2| as disclosed in Figure 2.

Each bar is provided with a depending post 22 adjacent one end thereof which post serves to turn the sprocket chain I5.

A cover plate 23 at the end of the trough II] opposite the end of the hopper I6 is secured over the sprocket wheel I3 as by a wing nut 25 to prevent feeding poultry from being injured by the rotating sprocket wheel and sprocket chain carried thereby.

Operation In operation and after the travel of the sprock et chain I5 has been effected by the energized motor II, feed supplied to the trough Ill from the hopper I6 is travelled along opposite inside lengths of the trough ID by the sprocket chain I5 as in the direction indicated by the arrows in Figure 2 and since the sprocket chain is turned edgewise at the opposite ends of the trough by the depending posts 22, feed does not reach the sprocket wheels to clog or foul up their rotation.

It will thus be seen that the poultry feeder herein shown and described is provided with a conveyor chain lying in a pair of parallel fiat positions for most of its length along opposite sides of the trough, that it is particularly well adapted for use in a relatively narrow poultry house, that it is highly efficient in its intended use and that it is reasonably economical in manufacture.

While but one specific embodiment of the invention has been herein shown and described, it will be understood that certain details of the construction shown may be altered or omitted without departing from the spirit of the invention as the same is defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. An elongated trough U -shaped in cross section, a rotatable sprocket wheel seated on the floor of the trough adjacent each end thereof, a sprocket chain carried by and between the sprocket wheels, a U-shaped member embracing each end of the trough inwardly of a sprocket wheel, and a bar secured to the legs of each U- shaped member and above the opposite sides of the trough having a'depending post for turning the opposite parallel'fiat lengths of the sprocket chain edgewise that lie between the several posts.

2. An elongated trough U-shaped in cross section, a rotatable sprocket wheel seated on the floor of the trough adjacent each end thereof, a sprocket chain carried by and between the sprocket wheels, a U-shaped member embracing each end of the trough inwardly of a sprocket}? wheel, a bar secured to the legs of each U-shaped. member and above the opposite sides of the trough having 9. depending post for turning the opposite parallel flat lengths of the sprocket chain edgewise that lie between the several posts, and means for rotating one of the sprocket wheels for traveling the sprocket chain.

' MARVIN L. SMALLEGAN.

No references cited. 

